South-East Asia Destination

By: threeland

Lying by theThu Bon River at some 30km southeast of the city of Da Nang, the ancienl city of Hoi An was an ac­tive Eastern port city during the Middle Ages. The city still maintains its uniqueness of char­acter and posesses qualities rarely seen in the region or elsewhere in the world.

Being a large international seaport in southeast Asia from the 16in to 19ln century, Hoi An frequently harbored merchant ships from China, France, Holland, Italy, Japan, Por­tugal, Spain, Great Britain and many other countries. Foreign traders settled, opened businesses and thrived in Hoi An. They con­tributed a large part in the building of Hoi An into a prosperous city. This ongoing process of economic and cultural exchange has re­sulted in a present Hoi An city full of magnifi­cent sculptural works.

Hoi An was not only an economic hub but also the cradle of the Vietnamese script, a center preaching the Buddhist sect of Lam Te - Chuc Thanh and Christianity in the south­ern part of Vietnam. Trading and economic activities at that time helped develop relation­ships and introduced a number of cultural tra­ditions and religious rites that are still pre­served today. All this has helped researchers and tourists discover the cultural life of Hoi An’s inhabitants during ancient times.

Through many historical events. Hoi An has now become a world heritage, a tourist center of Vietnam due to its many still intact structures and its being a living museum dis­playing relics that depict a harmonious mix­ture of Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese cultures. The Ancient City has become a place of great interest thanks to many traditional fes­tivities that are organised each year.

Apart from the material cultural vestiges, Hoi An also attracts people by its diversified forms and modes of living, festivals, cultural and religious activities, and folkloric and culi­nary arts. All these vestiges are being pre­served and developed to enhance the cul­tural value of Hoi An.

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